Metro Detroiters take St. Patrick's Day pretty seriously. They rise early on the morning of March 17 and promptly crack open a can of Guinness and throw back a shot of Jameson while contemplating whether to have bangers and mash or corned beef hash for breakfast. They then dress themselves in authentic Irish attire (green tutus, green felt hats, giant green shamrock-shaped glasses, and green shirts begging for smooches because, even if just for today, they're Irish) and traipse off to some tent party in the city, where they'll probably puke all over someone's shoes by mid-afternoon.
Did we digress? Weren't we talking about shopping? Oh yeah, the Twisted Shamrock.
Situated on 12 Mile in Berkley (formerly located on Nine Mile in Ferndale), the Twisted Shamrock is an excellent source for all the green gear you need to fit in at the Corktown St. Patrick's Day parade. They have the beads, the giants hats — they even sell plastic beer mugs with a shot glass attached and a wrist cuff to ensure your green beer receptacle won't get lost no matter what debauchery ensues. They have headbands, tiaras, sequins, shamrock vests — the whole shebang.
But when March 17 passes, this independently owned boutique doesn't stow away all that cheesy, faux Irish paraphernalia and shutter its doors. The shop spends the rest of the year dealing in authentic Irish and Celtic clothing, jewelry, home decor, earthenware, religious items, and other goods, and with each holiday they offer a special selection of items for the hibernophile in your life.
They deal in fine jewelry including engagement and wedding rings for men and women, Celtic wedding accessories (including cake toppers!), and decorative dishes. They carry Irish cookbooks and music from Gaelic Storm and Flogging Molly. They carry family crests, fancy barware, and even Irish perfumes. And there's nowhere in the store you can look without spotting a claddagh or a trinity knot.
So, while the Twisted Shamrock is indeed a great independent store from which to procure the requisite St. Patrick's Day gear, it's a shop that will please any lover of Irish culture all year round.
